Mary Hockaday is Controller of the BBC World Service. In this in-depth interview, she talks through the challenges of running a truly global broadcaster and producing content that appeals to audiences across the world; reflects on reporting landmark events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nelson Mandela’s death, and 9/11; examines the sensitivities covering graphic and horrific stories; shares her optimism about journalism despite a ‘challenging and bumpy time’; and light-heartedly contrasts life at the BBC with the sitcom W1A.